The Weibo leak also comes with a price rumour in tow, claiming that Apple is planning to sell the iPhone 5C at 3,000 yuan SIM-free - which translates to around £320, roughly the same cost as an 8GB iPhone 4.

Previous rumours have suggested that Apple intends to phase out one of its existing iPhone models with the launch of the lower-cost handset, releasing it alongside the flagship iPhone 5S.